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Clinton Portis finds 'me against the world' motivation

Coach Mike Shanahan hasn't made any secret that he's judging his players' commitment level during the offseason. Running back Clinton Portis, who was criticized by past coaches for his offseason conditioning habits, says that won't be a problem for him. At the conclusion of the final practice of Shanahan's first minicamp, Portis said he feels more committed than he has in recent years.

"I actually do. It's a difference when you say commitment and you want someone to buy into a system that you really don't believe in," Portis said. "I think having Coach Shanahan here, you just believe in whatever he say. If he tell you, 'I think we can jump off the roof, that we going to land safe.' It's like, 'All right, [expletive] it, let's jump.'"

Portis spoke with reporters at Redskins Park for the first time since the Redskins signed veteran free agents Larry Johnson and Willie Parker to compete with him in the backfield. He said he wasn't surprised by the signings and called the pair "great pickups."

"I think we'll find a way to make it work. I think that's beauty," Portis said. "Some people say you can never have too much and some people say there's not enough balls to go around, but I think the situation will work itself out. I think everybody is going to add a different dimension and come here and help this team."

Portis will be 29 by Week 1 and has nearly 9,700 carries already behind him. He was reflective with reporters when discussing how much he has left.

"I'm at the point of [being] tired to prove myself," he said. "Six out of eight years that I've been in the NFL, I've been consistent. Two years that I got hurt, which was unfortunate, I still went out and averaged 4.2 yards per carry or so and was doing pretty good.

"I think you get wrote off so quick. And people get tired of having a mainstay. I sat this offseason and had a chance to think. All the stuff I've done for this organization through the years. Everybody [said], 'Oh, the Redskins suck.' I always put this organization on my back and went out and gave everything I had. And it's still, like outcast. Get Portis out of here. Like I'm the reason the Redskins wasn't winning. When I think I was a guy who tried and gave everything I had to bring joy to this organization. You feel like everybody wants you out. To not have [my] back, everybody just turned their back. ...

"I say for all the naysayers and the haters, they finally opened my eyes this offseason. I think that's the motivation that I needed, just to feel like it's me against the world again. Everybody, all the media out there who wanted me out of here, who felt like I couldn't do it, I got something for you all. The time will come. I'm just staying patient and let you all see. I'm gonna let my work speak for itself."

Portis also said he doesn't feel any lingering problems from the concussion that ended his season prematurely last November.

As you told me stay the f_ck out of my conversation, I know ass-oles stick up for one another but mind your buisness.

Maybe it would be better if you were a former skins fan as well.

Posted by: Flounder21 | April 18, 2010 3:33 PM

It would actually be better if he were ever a Skins fan at all. All that dude does is b!tch and moan about everything the team has ever done. It's like the Skins themselves placed the sand in that dudes vag.

Dear C.P.:
The reason you have “the naysayers and the haters” is because you come across as a selfish, egomaniacal buffoon. You say, “I was a guy who tried and gave everything I had,” but what the average fan sees is a guy who sits out most of the preseason, prefers not to practice in the regular season, and who spends the offseason apart from team and teammates. Also, being cozy with Dan Snyder is not the way to make friends and influence people in this town. Finally, if you want people to have your back, show them you have theirs. Don’t throw your offensive line and Mike Sellers under the bus like you did last year. Project a different image, and I think you’ll find fewer “haters.”

Somebody get this guy a shrink. There is no "I" in "team", it's always about himself. Forget a chip on his shoulder, he has a boulder. Poison to the team, 29 year old RB, just release him for gosh sakes.

CP gave up his body. That's a lot of yardage running between the tackles. After what I saw last year, I may think he has lost a step, but I respect what he has done as an athlete. He runs downhill and he blocks with tremendous courage. Maybe he's taken a few too many shots to the head and has made some comments that have left me wondering, but over the years he has been fighter. Based on the pounding his body has endured, I don't see the Skins getting anything in a trade for him. I'd be surprised if he lasts another 2 years. Hopefully, he'll be productive in a rotation this year.

I respect the man, he has laid it out when the bell rings, which is what counts. Has anyone ever see him dog it on the field? No. I honestly don't care what a guy does before gametime, none of my biz, i just want to see players that play hard - that is CP. People can hate all they want, this guy is a warrior. I hope he has something left in the tank this year, i wouldn't be suprised if he has a really good year behind Shanny's offensive philosophy (and maybe a few new O lineman).

Portis is fast approaching his goal of having 10,000 carries before the age of 30. That along w/ his 8,000 receptions out of the backfield and # of NFL regular season and playoff games played of 900 make him one of the most durable players in the sports history.

Portis always talks about himself, probably always will He has some good seasons here...not great. just look at his first 2 seasons in Denver and then how it has been here. Until the O-line is decent or good it doesn't matter what any of the RBs say or promise. Betts had over 1K yds and a significantly higher ypc (4.7)in the fill in season he had than Portis has ever had here.
Love his blocking when he is so inclined but his ypc and his immaturity do not point to as much value from the $s spent on him as there should be....which is too bad but he isn't the first and certainly isn't the only over-paid athlete who is incapable of looking critically at themselves.

Clinton will never learn. The reason people have cast doubt on his ability to be a leader on the field and do be a dominant back again is because of Clinton Portis's actions. If he didn't refuse to practice, talk smack about his teammates and coaches, and show up overweight and out of game shape, people wouldn't be saying such things. Instead, he plays the victim card.

Then he also spins it like Shanahan is worthy of his motivation, instead of what really happened. Shanahan knows what Clinton is all about and brought in others who could step in and take his place. It's amazing how someone trying to take one's job can motivate a person.

Quoting the late great 2pac does not make me forget CP's past failures. I don't like this attitude because it glosses over his outright mutiny against Zorn...even if you don't believe in a system, you're not a team player if you are publicly undermining the coach. Me-first attitude once again.

Too bad the Skins won't draft RB this year...maybe next year along with a new QB of the future?

Dear C.P.:
The reason you have “the naysayers and the haters” is because you come across as a selfish, egomaniacal buffoon. You say, “I was a guy who tried and gave everything I had,” but what the average fan sees is a guy who sits out most of the preseason, prefers not to practice in the regular season, and who spends the offseason apart from team and teammates. A
Posted by: MrMerkin | April 18, 2010 5:22 PM

Merk the Jerk, let's go through your comments one by one:

"what the average fan sees is a guy who sits out most of the preseason"

Um, maybe you weren't a Skins fan back in 2006, or maybe you have a very short memory, but Clinton didn't used to be adverse to playing in the preseaso--not until he suffered a fluke injury in the first quarter of the first preseason game of 2006 that basically ruined his season and killed the Skins chances that year. Since then, he has understandably been wary of playing in preseason games--and as he has proven repeatedly, he doesn't need preseason to be sharp in week 1.

"prefers not to practice in the regular season"

He is has played through a lot of injuries over the years with this team and has used the time during the week to recuperate from his many injuries. And again, he has demonstrated time and again he can miss practice and still be sharp on game days.

"and who spends the offseason apart from team and teammates"

Huh? He is always at every Redskins voluntary camps..,you are really grasping here.

CP calls it as he sees it and doesn't just use the regular cliche' sports talk. He said in the past that we had a poor o-line and a poor coaching scheme--sounds about right. Get off the dudes nuts, he's given more to the skins than anyone currently on the roster.

"I say for all the naysayers and the haters, they finally opened my eyes this offseason. I think that's the motivation that I needed, just to feel like it's me against the world again. Everybody, all the media out there who wanted me out of here, who felt like I couldn't do it, I got something for you all. The time will come. I'm just staying patient and let you all see. I'm gonna let my work speak for itself."
==================
if you need this for motivation.. You have a real problem. If you are not motivated from within to be the best.. And it takes a "I'll show you all" to motivate you.. That lasts about 5 carries into the first game of the season.
Get a shrink.

i'll bet the house that not ONE of you who're complaining abt Portis's reported cozy relationship with the owner would NOT have such a relationship with YOUR boss if he wished it, or IF you were good enough to develop one. you speak with forked tongue!

U PPL LEAVING NEGATIVE POST ABOUT PORTIS ALL CAN EAT 1,000,000 WEE WEES!!! U CALL URSELFS SKINS' FANS! UR ABUNCH OF LOSERS THAT DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL!!! PORTIS GAVE HIS ALL TO US!!! EVEN WHEN JOE GIBBS TRIED TO TURN HIM INTO A POWER BACK!!! YOU PPL KNOW NOTHING!

Portis came to a team with a poor o-line and still got his yardage, only his average went down. He took a pounding on short yardage runs. He ran more often to get his total yardage. He can catch out of the backfield, and he is the best blocking tailback, by far, in football. He gives it his all even if his all is not as good as it once was. If any player has a right to complain (Haynesworth) about how he was being used and how he needed blocking help it is Portis. Forget his attitude. He will give you his all on the field. I agree, look at Larry Brown, a back needs to rest up to be able to put out on Sundays. Riggins would spend the week in the hospital and then play on Sunday. The point is he needed to recuperate also. This guy is a talent and an asset. We don't have too many of those on the team. Shanahan's system will demonstrate whether or not Portis still has the ability to be a top flight RB. With his will-power and tenacity I think he will get 1200 yards and have a couple of game breakers.

CP it will be all good this year, the thing you have to remember with some ignornat Redskin fans is that they are fair weather.
They were all over your jock an kissing your az# when you got here and the coaches were clueless in how to best utilize you, they forget you transformed your body from a tailback to a full back, they forgot we didn't have a good offensive line or any reliable receiving threats other then Cooley or Moss....
I guess the fair weather fans also forgot how you protected Brunnell and Campbell when our out of shape, lack of heart offensive lineman stood around not finishing blocks or getting pile drived.

They also forgot how Mike Sellers who has the size of a lineman can't block consistantly or didn't know how to finish blocks...
They did not recognize you were hurt but did not use that as an excuse..They also forget being an NFL player is nothing like working in corporate America where folks get used and abused and are too afraid to say a word....
Bottom line CP being reunited with Shannahan and your position coach Bobby Jackson who recognizes you for your talent and will place you in a scheme where you will succeed, just watch the local press and listen to their comments, these same fair weather fans will be all on your bandwagon and if I were you I would ignore them all as you have become well aware of their fair weather nature.
Help this team win now and break Riggins drunk az# records and shut his clown az# up too!

CP it will be all good this year, the thing you have to remember with some ignorant Redskin fans is that they are fair weather.
They were all over your jock an kissing your az# when you got here and the coaches were clueless in how to best utilize you, they forget you transformed your body from a tailback to a full back, they forgot we didn't have a good offensive line or any reliable receiving threats other then Cooley or Moss....
I guess the fair weather fans also forgot how you protected Brunnell and Campbell when our out of shape, lack of heart offensive lineman stood around not finishing blocks or getting pile drived.

They also forgot how Mike Sellers who has the size of a lineman can't block consistantly or didn't know how to finish blocks...
They did not recognize you were hurt but did not use that as an excuse..They also forget being an NFL player is nothing like working in corporate America where folks get used and abused and are too afraid to say a word....
Bottom line CP being reunited with Shannahan and your position coach Bobby Jackson who recognizes you for your talent and will place you in a scheme where you will succeed, just watch the local press and listen to their comments, these same fair weather fans will be all on your bandwagon and if I were you I would ignore them all as you have become well aware of their fair weather nature.
Help this team win now and break Riggins drunk az# records and shut his clown az# up too!

If he gives everything he has, why do all the coaches say he doesn't practice and sits on the sidelines without hesitation? Is "this about Practice Man? Practice? Practice? How I gonna make my teammates better by practicing, man?"